At 44, Hunter is a soul survivor in music biz

April 20, 2007|GENE SANTORO New York Daily News

As he approaches middle age, British blue-eyed soul sensation James Hunter is finally savoring success. "We've only been at it 20 years," the 44-year-old says with a laugh, "but I'm not bitter. I'm too busy having fun." Hunter and his six-piece band showcase a style that harkens to the smooth soul of Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson. Hunter's smoky voice rides Latin-tinged beats, while a horn section jabs and his guitar chimes with bluesy grit. For his latest CD, "People Gonna Talk," Hunter snatched a 2006 Grammy nomination. "I came in second," he says with a quip, "to Ike Turner. You know, it's easy to be philosophical when you lose to one of the founders of rock 'n' roll. Besides, I copped a lot of my guitar licks from him, so it's payback." A self-taught musician, Hunter grew up in Colchester, England, in a "knackered caravan (trailer) in the middle of an onion field." His parents slept in the living room. Their entertainment was an ancient gramophone and 78 rpm records his grandma gave them, mostly R&B classics, such as Wilson's "Reet Petite." At school, he was bored, so at 16 Hunter joined British Rail as a signal technician. "I wasn't too good at it," he says, "but they didn't mind; they're very idiot-friendly." On his off-hours, Hunter studied guitar, picking licks off records by Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. He started a trio to busk for coins in London. After six years, he quit Brit Rail. In 1987, Steve Erdman saw his street show, was smitten and started managing him. For years, things moved at a glacial pace. Two British CDs never hit the U.S., although such stars as Van Morrison talked Hunter up and hired him for studio and live work. Finally, Erdman and Hunter formed Go Records. They recorded "People Gonna Talk" on their own dime and tried to sell it stateside. "There was a distinct lack of interest on the part of every record label we met with," he says. "It had to do with me age -- I was 40. 'What do you want me to do about that?' I asked." Three years later, Rounder put out the disc, but Go financed the U.S. tour. "All we had was a van," he says. Post-Grammy, that's changed. "We've graduated to a full tour bus. It's become a bit of a womb for us; the road manager has to come in and lift us out one at a time." Once onstage, however, Hunter's band tears it up. Americans, he says, ain't seen nothin' yet: "For the first time, I've been able to bring over me mates from the U.K. They've been with me 17 years so we're just like family -- and you know what that's like."